SHOT Show Gun Fashion: Zombie Green Is Out, Artic White Is In

After spending four days walking up and down the aisles at the SHOT Show, we’re happy to report that the whole zombie green thing seems to pretty much be dead. On the other hand, we did see a few manufacturers promoting guns adorned in “arctic white” stocks, and scope manufacturers such as Schmidt & Bender offering scopes finished in white. And, as Chris already posted, Tapco is producing AR furniture in white. Will this be a new trend, or is white just the color of the month? More pics of the limited edition Steyr AUG stock after the jump . . .

This new limited edition stock is the perfect gift for that AUG junkie in your life; its sure to be a collector’s item once they are all gone.

76 Responses to SHOT Show Gun Fashion: Zombie Green Is Out, Artic White Is In

Yeah, mine just keep applying for foodstamps… Haven’t shot up any schools like I was hoping. So lazy… Would you beleive I caught one with a bag of weed the other day? And don’t get me started about the pants… Why haven’t the polymer receiver MFRs done this? I know one did, but they got really, really harassed by the ATF and haven’t seen any DeWalt AR-15s in ages… Seems the government is putting a lot of effort into keeping everything except the black rifles down…

I wish I could understand how trends worked. I don’t imagine this is coming just from the gun community, because movies (ex. Catching Fire) were apparently way ahead of the curve on this whole arctic white thing.

Yeah, I predict this trend will last for about the time it takes for people to take these guns to the range and realize that once they start shooting them, that brilliant white becomes a dingy gray and looks like crap.

The ergonomics are quite good, once you get used to them. The only complaint you typically hear is that the triggers are heavy and creepy (which is typical of most bullpups). The new Steyr AUGs have way better triggers than the Pre-ban ones from the 1980s & Early 1990s.

The ergonomics are quite striking the first time you pick it up; there is no need to wait for it.

My take on the Arctic White is: what is the real benefit of this? A white rifle in a green or tan (or mixed) environment is FAR more noticeable than a green or tan rifle in a snow field. Sounds like a less than beneficial tradeoff to me.

I own an AUG A3 CQC. The factory trigger, as others have said, is typical of bullpups. Somewhere around 10 – 11 lbs. You can get a Ratworx hybrid trigger mod (HTM) that will drop it down to 5-6 lbs, as I have.

On a side note, with the CQC the added weight balances out the 42 round mags. This is the first rifle I have ever been able to shoot unsupported with just one hand (meaning the butt of the rifle not tucked into my shoulder). Ergonomics are exceptional. Plus it shoots well, best accuracy on my part was 1.25 MOA.

I’ve wondered if the ATF would frown on an electronic trigger for precisely this use… Make it complicated enough that it wouldn’t be easilly altered to become full auto… Zero creepy. Crisp and perfect like a tactile switch/button press…

Yes. I’m a bit of an RFB fanboy… Because it’s just so awesome! It deserves some fanboying!

Arctic white is silly and will go away quickly. It’ll look bright for about the first five minutes. Later, if it doesn’t turn yellow with prolonged sun exposure, it will only be because they’ve infused the resin with (expensive) titanium oxide. Either route will affect sales.

I’m not so sure about that. Titanium dioxide is in many things like toothpaste and bar soap, and those are not expensive items.

As for “urban grey”, only a certain few cities are colorless enough to make grey the better option. Manchester, maybe. A few other really drab ones. For most urban areas, some sort of mixed pattern, like Multicam or A-TACS AU, are the better option.

At the rang yesterday there was a guy at the next station with an AR-15 by I have no idea that was interesting wood stock and for end and grip in a nice high figure walnut, the upper and lower had what looked like color case hardining but I would guess it was a float like real tech camo… Things like the safety and trigger were high polish fire blue…. The barrel was polished blue black …. Sort of surprised it was not octagon!
I guess he wanted his “black gun” to look like it had been built by Winchester in the 1890s!

In short it was a i guess a “steam punk” version…. Now I know that there is no accounting for taste but to me this looked downright odd…. Sort of surprised he did not have wood veneer glued to his magazines

I dunno, this looks like something the Lone Ranger would like to tool up with. Sorta looks like the perfect gun for “Lone Ranger II: The 21st Century”.
“Who was that masked man?”
“I dunno, but he left this 5.56….”
(In the distance)” Hi-yo Steyr! Away!”

I had a pre-ban AUG for several years – I could swear that the white stocks were available back in the 90’s, in limited production. Maybe SARCO found a dusty crate back in a warehouse somewhere and sold them back to Steyr?

I really like the look of these Arctic White rifles, but (as others have already noted) they’re not going to stay white for long once you shoot them unless they’re Duracoated.

I have a hard enough time keeping the Desert Tan furniture on my AK from becoming a grimy brownish sludge; I actually use baby wipes every few cleanings to get the oils and dirt off the plastic furniture.